📷: Bayan Muna Executive Director Carlos Zarate
Former Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Executive Vice President Carlos Isagani Zarate today rebuked President Marcos’s call for courtesy resignations from cabinet members, asserting that the impending reshuffle appears to be a “mere political maneuver rather than a genuine effort to address the nation’s pressing issues.”
“President Marcos’s move to consolidate his faction in the wake of the administration’s electoral debacle should not be used as a smokescreen to cover up bad governance and the worsening economic situation of the country,” Zarate stated.
“This cabinet reshuffle, if it proceeds as a mere political ploy, will only serve to appease anti-Marcos forces, particularly the Duterte dynasty, to whom President Marcos appears to be making a reconciliation overture.”
Zarate emphasized that the Filipino people deserve concrete solutions to the soaring cost of living, rampant unemployment, and the persistent issues plaguing vital public services, not a political spectacle.
“The call for resignations must not be a superficial exercise aimed at pacifying political rivals or diverting attention from the administration’s shortcomings,” he added.
“More importantly, we warned the Marcos administration not to make political pawns out of critical issues of accountability and good governance, such as the coming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and the ongoing International Criminal Court (ICC) trial of former President Rodrigo Duterte. These are matters of profound public interest and justice, and they must be allowed to proceed independently, free from political interference or manipulation meant to serve power plays between these dynastic factions.”
The former legislator also highlighted that the impending cabinet reorganization “exposes the inherent vulnerabilities of the Marcos administration.”
“Such a move clearly demonstrates internal instability and and a perceived weakness that the Duterte faction will undoubtedly exploit to its advantage. It signals a defensive posture rather than a confident and proactive approach to governance in the remaining term of the Marcos administration,” he said.
“Thus, it will all be unli-politicking and non-stop war of dominance by these two factions leading to 2028,” Zarate said.
“We demand that the Marcos administration to prioritize instead substantive reforms and good governance over political machinations. The country is facing severe economic headwinds, and what we need are competent leaders with clear strategies, not a revolving door of cabinet members dictated by political expediency,” he said.
“Any government reshuffle must genuinely aim to improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos, not to broker political peace for convenience or consolidate power,” he said. #
